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Curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET

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Need Bright Aluminum Finish - Mirror Like

I am an artist who designed a decorative part that is water-jet cut from 1" thick aluminum 6061-T6 stock. The part dimension is approximately 4" X 3". I would like to finish the part in bright using the most economical process. I've considered chrome plating, bright dip anodizing, polishing and I'm unsure which is optimal. I'm also open to changing from aluminum, if the overall cost will be reduced. Your help is appreciated.

Howard Chang
ID Works - Atlanta, Georgia
2006

There is rarely a cut-and-dried answer to such a question, but polishing/buffing it yourself can give you a quite shiny finish and should be less expensive than farming the project out for chrome plating or bright dipping and anodizing.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2006

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